Furious with Sony Service - UPDATE

PHugger · 01-02-2008, 03:35 PM

You can read the sad saga of my broken Sony PRS-505 IN THIS THREAD, but I would only recommend that if you suffer from insomnia. Here is the Cliff Notes version:

My Sony PRS-505 was 32 days old when it died (display scrambled)
I couldn't return it to the Blue Temple (30 day return policy)
I set up a Sony Repair Ticket and sent it off
Service said that one of the "delicate inner layers of the the eInk display was cracked"
No visible external damage (reader was much loved and treated gently)
The repair estimate was $270 US (new retail is $300)
I asked to speak to a supervisor, who never called back
My 505 was returned without being repaired

I was VERY discouraged and angry. I decided to not give up and seek out positive solutions (at least as a first step). I came across an email for Valerie Motis who is the Director of IT Products and the Sony Reader. I also had a bunch of other corporate email targets, but decided against carpet bombing. I told her my tale of woe. I remained positive and even mentioned how much I would like to share with all of my MobileRead friends that Sony was going to do the right thing. Within 3 hours I got a call with a new work order number and a promise that my Reader will be exchanged. I am still a bit dazed by the almost immediate response and very favorable resolution. There are people at Sony who care. My two previous experiences with Sony Repair Services (digital cameras) were positive and this one bad experience was perhaps not aligned with corporate policy. I'm so grateful for this help - I've missed my 505 horribly.

Go Sony!

PCH

Ervserver · 01-02-2008, 04:20 PM

Just takes getting to the right person, glad this will be resolved for you finally.

PHugger · 01-02-2008, 07:51 PM

Ervserver - I went back and looked at your advice. You were spot on!

Here are some images of the broken screen. I think the crack is in the lower right corner. You can see some difference in the lines with a definite edge.

PCH

astra · 01-03-2008, 04:07 AM

Congrats!

I am really happy for you.

Well done Sony!

crusader666 · 01-03-2008, 10:46 AM

I hope that your victory is a good sing that Sony will fix the font/line format on dozens of books that I have purchased from them, or refund my money on those book purchases.

Sony moves like snails, but I will post an update on this forum when (if) I get one.

Congrats. The key here is don't ever take "no" for an answer!

ndskyz · 01-04-2008, 04:20 PM

Good for you. I've been an owner of Sony products for years, and find story's like this to be very common. They tell you "no" at first, but if you are firm and respectful, you'll usually, get a positive result.

PHugger · 01-04-2008, 07:08 PM

I got the return package from FedEx today. It was basically an empty box with some packaging materials, a shipping label, some instructions and an inventory sheet. The inventory sheet was for a Sony Vaio laptop computer. Apparently they don't have any for the Reader yet. The interesting thing was the price schedule on the sheet - the basic repair rate is $270. This makes me think that someone couldn't figure out what to charge me and decided that a laptop was similar to the reader - DOH!

PCH

JSWolf · 01-10-2008, 02:36 PM

I am glad someone at Sony took noticed and did the right thing for you.

DrMoze · 01-10-2008, 04:40 PM

Just to clarify--You have to return your 505 first in the provided box, and then they will send the repaired unit (or a replacement) later? I might need to do this, but a vacation is coming up shortly so not having my reader is NOT an option! (Some repair services send you a replacement directly with the return packaging for the defective item.)

Also, can you post the info of the person at Sony you contacted? Just in case I need it... (See my thread on the 'white line.')

PHugger · 01-10-2008, 11:06 PM

The first time I sent the reader in for repair I just packaged it myself (bubble wrap in a box). After Sony stepped in to help, I got a prepaid shipping box from Sony via Fedex.

You will need to send it in for assessment and then they let you know what is wrong and how much it will cost (if anything) before they return it. It may take between 1 and 2 weeks for the round trip.

Let me know if you need any email addresses, please PM me - they were so good to me I don't want to abuse that trust.

PCH

PHugger · 01-17-2008, 08:54 PM

I got my new replacement 505 today - life is good.
The Sony folks who helped me were great.

Authorizing the new reader was virtually automatic. I will have to get Sony to help me deauthorize the old one - for some reason you can't deauthorize the first reader. The non-DRM content sync'd on the first connect. The DRM stuff sync'd after the authorization process completed. Very easy and painless. You are allowed a total of six devices so even the authorized broken one doesn't really matter.

PCH

astra · 01-18-2008, 05:00 AM

Congrats!

ScallyFox · 09-19-2008, 04:25 AM

PHugger
congradulations!! I'm very happy for you!!

I want to ask your opinion about my situation.. It's pretty the same as yours, but I'm in Russia.. So, there is no Sony Reader support.. And my reader now is broken exactly the same way as yours.
Do you think is it possible to do something? I wrote to the official sony support center, but they did not answered.. a week ago.

Help me please with some advice, your story is very encouraging!

bookgirl1190 · 03-08-2011, 01:49 PM

I'm having bad screen issues right now. Admittedly, the book was dropped about 8 months ago, but there were no immediate problems. The book is 15 months old and so out of warranty. It is always in it's case and in a zippered pocket in my purse, nothing comes into contact with it. I opened it yesterday and my screen is covered in lines with about 1/2 of the text being visible.
I've set up a repair on the Sony Canada website and they had me pay 100.00 up front with no mention of a replacement.
I'm absolutely lost without my reader. Does anyone have any comments about Sony Canada and their repair and replacement policies?

Shopaholic · 03-08-2011, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookgirl1190

I'm having bad screen issues right now. Admittedly, the book was dropped about 8 months ago, but there were no immediate problems. The book is 15 months old and so out of warranty. It is always in it's case and in a zippered pocket in my purse, nothing comes into contact with it. I opened it yesterday and my screen is covered in lines with about 1/2 of the text being visible.
I've set up a repair on the Sony Canada website and they had me pay 100.00 up front with no mention of a replacement.
I'm absolutely lost without my reader. Does anyone have any comments about Sony Canada and their repair and replacement policies?

You should start your own thread rather than bumping one from 2008.

You dropped the reader and it broke so.....

It's out of warranty and yet you want them to cover it. Why?

Rather than pay $100 for a repair why not buy a new reader?

01-02-2008, 03:35 PM	#1
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	Furious with Sony Service - UPDATE You can read the sad saga of my broken Sony PRS-505 IN THIS THREAD, but I would only recommend that if you suffer from insomnia. Here is the Cliff Notes version: My Sony PRS-505 was 32 days old when it died (display scrambled) I couldn't return it to the Blue Temple (30 day return policy) I set up a Sony Repair Ticket and sent it off Service said that one of the "delicate inner layers of the the eInk display was cracked" No visible external damage (reader was much loved and treated gently) The repair estimate was $270 US (new retail is $300) I asked to speak to a supervisor, who never called back My 505 was returned without being repaired I was VERY discouraged and angry. I decided to not give up and seek out positive solutions (at least as a first step). I came across an email for Valerie Motis who is the Director of IT Products and the Sony Reader. I also had a bunch of other corporate email targets, but decided against carpet bombing. I told her my tale of woe. I remained positive and even mentioned how much I would like to share with all of my MobileRead friends that Sony was going to do the right thing. Within 3 hours I got a call with a new work order number and a promise that my Reader will be exchanged. I am still a bit dazed by the almost immediate response and very favorable resolution. There are people at Sony who care. My two previous experiences with Sony Repair Services (digital cameras) were positive and this one bad experience was perhaps not aligned with corporate policy. I'm so grateful for this help - I've missed my 505 horribly. Go Sony! PCH Last edited by PHugger; 01-02-2008 at 03:43 PM.

01-02-2008, 07:51 PM	#3
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	Ervserver - I went back and looked at your advice. You were spot on! Here are some images of the broken screen. I think the crack is in the lower right corner. You can see some difference in the lines with a definite edge. PCH Attached Thumbnails

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01-02-2008, 04:20 PM	#2
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Just takes getting to the right person, glad this will be resolved for you finally.

01-03-2008, 04:07 AM	#4
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Congrats! I am really happy for you. Well done Sony!

01-03-2008, 10:46 AM	#5
crusader666 Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 11 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Palm Springs, CA Device: Sony PRS-505; EB-1150	I hope that your victory is a good sing that Sony will fix the font/line format on dozens of books that I have purchased from them, or refund my money on those book purchases. Sony moves like snails, but I will post an update on this forum when (if) I get one. Congrats. The key here is don't ever take "no" for an answer!

01-04-2008, 04:20 PM	#6
ndskyz Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: PRS 505/Tungsten T5	Good for you. I've been an owner of Sony products for years, and find story's like this to be very common. They tell you "no" at first, but if you are firm and respectful, you'll usually, get a positive result.

01-04-2008, 07:08 PM	#7
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	I got the return package from FedEx today. It was basically an empty box with some packaging materials, a shipping label, some instructions and an inventory sheet. The inventory sheet was for a Sony Vaio laptop computer. Apparently they don't have any for the Reader yet. The interesting thing was the price schedule on the sheet - the basic repair rate is $270. This makes me think that someone couldn't figure out what to charge me and decided that a laptop was similar to the reader - DOH! PCH

01-10-2008, 02:36 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,036 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I am glad someone at Sony took noticed and did the right thing for you.

01-10-2008, 04:40 PM	#9
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 858 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	Just to clarify--You have to return your 505 first in the provided box, and then they will send the repaired unit (or a replacement) later? I might need to do this, but a vacation is coming up shortly so not having my reader is NOT an option! (Some repair services send you a replacement directly with the return packaging for the defective item.) Also, can you post the info of the person at Sony you contacted? Just in case I need it... (See my thread on the 'white line.')

01-10-2008, 11:06 PM	#10
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	The first time I sent the reader in for repair I just packaged it myself (bubble wrap in a box). After Sony stepped in to help, I got a prepaid shipping box from Sony via Fedex. You will need to send it in for assessment and then they let you know what is wrong and how much it will cost (if anything) before they return it. It may take between 1 and 2 weeks for the round trip. Let me know if you need any email addresses, please PM me - they were so good to me I don't want to abuse that trust. PCH

01-17-2008, 08:54 PM	#11
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	I got my new replacement 505 today - life is good. The Sony folks who helped me were great. Authorizing the new reader was virtually automatic. I will have to get Sony to help me deauthorize the old one - for some reason you can't deauthorize the first reader. The non-DRM content sync'd on the first connect. The DRM stuff sync'd after the authorization process completed. Very easy and painless. You are allowed a total of six devices so even the authorized broken one doesn't really matter. PCH

01-18-2008, 05:00 AM	#12
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Congrats!

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09-19-2008, 04:25 AM	#13
ScallyFox Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS 505	PHugger congradulations!! I'm very happy for you!! I want to ask your opinion about my situation.. It's pretty the same as yours, but I'm in Russia.. So, there is no Sony Reader support.. And my reader now is broken exactly the same way as yours. Do you think is it possible to do something? I wrote to the official sony support center, but they did not answered.. a week ago. Help me please with some advice, your story is very encouraging!

03-08-2011, 01:49 PM	#14
bookgirl1190 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: sony prs-600	I'm having bad screen issues right now. Admittedly, the book was dropped about 8 months ago, but there were no immediate problems. The book is 15 months old and so out of warranty. It is always in it's case and in a zippered pocket in my purse, nothing comes into contact with it. I opened it yesterday and my screen is covered in lines with about 1/2 of the text being visible. I've set up a repair on the Sony Canada website and they had me pay 100.00 up front with no mention of a replacement. I'm absolutely lost without my reader. Does anyone have any comments about Sony Canada and their repair and replacement policies?